This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Claflin University The proposed SC INBRE program seeks to build further on the success of the institution's research capacity building initiatives begun in 2000 and supported in large part by the institution's inclusion in the SC INBRE network. Specifically, the following three main objectives will be pursued: a. Student Training, Pipeline Development, and Outreach. Under this objective, Claflin will train 8 INBRE M.S. graduate research assistants, 21 undergraduate students with year-long research support, and 17 summer undergraduate research trainees. In addition, Claflin will utilize SC INBRE funds to support summer training assistantships for 22 biotechnology associates degree candidates from Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College, in a collaboration aimed at extending the pipeline to research careers to an institution that is at the forefront of recruiting minority students from particularly underprivileged areas. b. Faculty Development: With a combination of institutional and SC INBRE funds, Claflin will support two new target faculty members who have promising projects in need of further development;provide an additional year of support to a third faculty member hired with INBRE support during year 3 of our current INBRE program;participate in the bioengineering research training summer workshops offered by Clemson University via distance education/videoconferencing at the Claflin University campus, making sure that faculty from other HBCU's in our geographic area of the state can access this workshop as well. c. Faculty Recruitment: Again by using a combination of SC INBRE and institutional funds, Claflin will provide salary support and a start-up package for one newly approved tenure track faculty position for a Biochemist during the course of the grant. Together, these activities will allow Claflin University's South Carolina Center for Biotechnology to continue to contribute to the efforts to increase biomedical research capacity for South Carolina with particular emphasis to broadening the participation of student and faculty from historically underrepresented demographic groups in biomedical research.